Bill would ban plastic microbeads in cosmetics

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The state Assembly has passed a bill banning the use of plastic microbeads in soaps and cosmetics.

Manufacturers already are phasing out the ingredients, which are considered harmful to the environment in part because they are not biodegradable.

AB1699 passed Friday on a 45-10 vote.

Democratic Assemblyman Richard Bloom of Santa Monica says his bill responds to the tiny exfoliating beads making their way past filters and treatment plants. They end up in waterways, where they are swallowed by fish.

The bill heads to the Senate, where Bloom says he will push for amendments to win manufacturer support. He already pushed back the timeline of the phase-out to 2019.

Similar bills are moving through the legislatures in Illinois and New York.